Jeannette Wing to Direct Data Science Institute

Jeannette Wing has been named the Avanessians Director of Columbia’s Data Science Institute and Professor of Computer Science, effective in July. In leading the Data Science Institute, she will oversee the University’s efforts to foster collaborations between data scientists and scholars whose fields are being transformed by the availability of copious data. Since its founding in 2012, the institute has grown from its base at Columbia Engineering to include more than two hundred affiliated researchers across the University.

Wing, an MIT-educated computer scientist who formerly served as a corporate vice president at Microsoft Research, is an expert on the reliability and security of computing systems. She previously held executive positions at Carnegie Mellon University and the National Science Foundation.

“The benefits to be derived from Jeannette’s leadership and her presence here will be immense,” said President Lee C. Bollinger in announcing her appointment.